Sunday, March 18• As twilight fades, look low due west for Venus with the super-thin Moon 3° or 4° to its left, as shown above. A similar distance upper right of the Moon, look for Mercury, much fainter at magnitude +0.4.
• By nightfall, the Big Dipper is high in the northeast and beginning to tip left. Look well to its left for Polaris and the dim Little Dipper. Other than Polaris, all you may see of the Little Dipper through light pollution is the two stars forming the outer edge of its bowl: Kochab (similar to Polaris in brightness) and below it, fainter Pherkad. Find these two "Guardians of the Pole" to Polaris's lower right by about a fist and a half at arm's length.
Now is the time of year when the Guardians line up exactly vertically at the end of twilight.
Monday, March 19• If the crescent Moon were a bow, it would shoot an arrow to the lower right just past Venus in this evening's twilight, as shown above.
• After dark, Sirius shines brilliantly in the south-southwest. Lower left of Sirius, by about one fist, is the triangle of Adhara, Wezen, and Aludra, from right to left. They form Canis Major's hind foot, rear end, and tail, respectively.
Just left or upper left of them, forming a 3rd- and 4th-magnitude arc, are the three uppermost stars of the constellation Puppis. No it's not a pup, despite its nearness to the Big Dog. It's the Poop Deck (stern) of the giant ancient constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. These three stars the only ones of Argo that are readily visible naked-eye from mid-northern latitudes.
The sprawling Coma Star Cluster, with north up. The bright star at lower right is Denebola. On the opposite side of the cluster is Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum). North here is up; mentally turn this view about 45° counterclockwise to match its orientation in the east after dark.
Tuesday, March 20• Today is the equinox. At 12:15 p.m. EDT the center of the Sun crosses the equator — both Earth's equator and the celestial equator, which Earth's equator defines. This moment marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, fall in the Southern Hemisphere.
And no, eggs don't balance better today than at any other time!
• After dark Leo strides up the eastern sky, with his brightest star Regulus in his forefoot and the Sickle of Leo extending upper left from there.
About two fists lower left of Regulus are the two stars of Leo's rear end and tail: Delta Leonis (magnitude 2.5) and, below it, slightly brighter Beta Leonis, or Denebola, the tail tip (magnitude 2.1).
As evening grows late and this scene rises higher, look left of Denebola, by a fist or a little bit more, for the big, dim Coma Berenices star cluster. Its brightest members form an upside-down, tilted Y. It's visible even through some light pollution. If you can't see it naked-eye, binoculars reveal it well, looking rather ragged and more or less filling the field of view.
Moon and Aldebaran, March 21, 22, 23, 2018
The thickening Moon now works its way high through Taurus. The blue 10° scale is about the size of your fist held at arm's length. In these scenes the Moon is always drawn three times its actual apparent size.
Wednesday, March 21• Upper right of the crescent Moon this evening, you'll find the Pleiades. Upper left of the Moon are Aldebaran and the Hyades.
• Do you know how to find the horntips of Taurus, Zeta (ζ) and Beta (β) Tauri? One way is to extend the sides of the Hyades V way up, by about a fist and a half, as shown here. (The Moon will join them in two days.)
But another way uses brighter stars. Spot Betelgeuse high in the southwest these evenings. It's Orion's topmost bright star. Then look high in the northwest for Capella, even brighter. The horntips of Taurus lie halfway between them, lined up with them. Beta, on the right, is the brighter of the two.
Thursday, March 22• Aldebaran pairs closely with the Moon this evening.
• Castor and Pollux shine together nearly overhead in the south after dark. Pollux is slightly the brighter of these "twins." Draw a line from Castor through Pollux, follow it farther out by a big 26° (about 2½ fist-widths at arm's length), and you're at the dim head of Hydra, the Sea Serpent. In a dark sky it's a subtle but distinctive star grouping, about the size of your thumb at arm's length. Binoculars show it easily through light pollution or moonlight.
Continue the line farther by another fist and a half and you hit Alphard, Hydra's orange heart.
Another way to find the head of Hydra: It's almost midway from Procyon to Regulus.
Friday, March 23• The Moon joins the lineup of Betelgeuse, the Taurus horntips, and Capella. See Wednesday above.
• Now that it's spring, the signature fall-and-winter constellation Cassiopeia is retreating downward after dark. But for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes Cassiopeia is circumpolar, never going away completely. Look for it fairly low in the north-northwest these evenings. It's still standing nearly on end.
Saturday, March 24• First-quarter Moon (exact at 11:35 a.m. EDT). This evening the Moon shines high above Orion, in the feet of Gemini below Castor and Pollux.